Jaguars (Earth-7045)
The jaguar (Panthera onca) is a large felid species and the only extant member of the genus Panthera native to the Americas. The jaguar's present range extends from Southwestern United States and Mexico in North America, across much of Central America, and south to Paraguay and northern Argentina in South America. Though there are single cats now living within the Western United States, the species has largely been extirpated from the United States since the early 20th century. It is listed as Near Threatened on the IUCN Red List; and its numbers are declining. Threats include loss and fragmentation of habitat. Overall, the jaguar is the largest native cat species of the New World and the third largest in the world. This spotted cat closely resembles the leopard, but is usually larger and sturdier. It ranges across a variety of forested and open terrains, but its preferred habitat is tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forest, swamps and wooded regions. The jaguar enjoys swimming and is largely a solitary, opportunistic, stalk-and-ambush predator at the top of the food chain. As a keystone species it plays an important role in stabilizing ecosystems and regulating prey populations. While international trade in jaguars or their body parts is prohibited, the cat is still frequently killed, particularly in conflicts with ranchers and farmers in South America. Although reduced, its range remains large. Given its historical distribution, the jaguar has featured prominently in the mythology of numerous indigenous American cultures, including those of the Maya and Aztec. History The history of the jaguar on Earth is the same as its real world counterpart. This wouldn't be the only planet the universe would hear from this species, however. Multiple jaguar specimens were abducted via time travel by a cyborg alien race known as the Quintessons. This was at the behest of a scientist named Xeros, who was using time window technology to acquire samples of alien life for purposes of creating bioweapons, starting the project with Earth. The ship transporting this exotic cargo would soon wind up on an uninhabited planet in the distant past thanks to sabotage by one of the scientists, Extempaxia. A lost Cybertronian ship, the Hyperboria, would soon also crash on the planet, killing the crew, leaving the protoforms onboard to fend for themselves on the planet, find the ship, release the cargo, and assume new forms based on those creatures. This would lead to a colony of Cybertronians unknown to the universe at large, who dubbed the planet Animatron. Ultimately, the abducted jaguars died quickly, the Earth animals being unable to survive in an alien biosphere. Powers *'Heightened Sense of Smell' *'Remarkable Hearing' *'Sharp Claws & Teeth' Habitat Habitat: Wet lowlands, swampy savannas, tropical rainforests Gravity: 9.80665 m/s Atmosphere: 78% nitrogen, 21% oxygen, 0.93% argon, 0.04% carbon dioxide, remaining percentage other gases Population: About 173,000 c. 2018 Trivia *The Decepticons Ravage & Jaguarbreast (stop laughing!) both have this species as their primary mode (although this changed for Ravage when he was reformatted into a Predacon). Category:Created by Trachodon56 Category:Species Category:Cats Category:Animal Traits Category:Feline Traits Category:Orange Hair Category:Black Hair Category:White Hair Category:Fur Category:Super Senses Category:Sharp Teeth Category:Claws Category:Sharp Claws Category:Claw Retraction Category:Earth-7045